Blacksmith Cycle

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Mike's Top-10 2015 Tech Trends
1. Go disc brake – whether electric or mechanical, hydraulic braking is a simply revolutionary leap. If you don’t race, consider it for your next bike. Our disc options include custom offerings from Argonaut, Mosaic and Parlee, with Olympia, Storck and Van Dessel offering downright awesome value in carbon-disc race machines designed in Italy, Germany and the US, respectively. But really, any disc bike will blow your freaking mind. Don't believe me? Come ride our Mosaic GT-1 today. Oh, and I won't even consider electric shifting a trend this season, since that was so last year, but electric + disc = heaven.
2. Go aerodynamic – super techie carbon wheelsets are a given, but new aero handlebars from 3T and ENVE are in the house, plus an incoming (and, finally, not-ugly) aero helmet from Mavic, all said to produce incredible gains on the clock without resorting to all sorts of nefarious drug practices. Stay clean, stay fast, stay aero. we haven’t gone all-in with aero clothing, but that may be the next step.
3. Go with moldable insoles – we’ve had Fizik insoles for years and have now added Lake’s fiberglass and carbon versions as well. Come see why we are the behind-the-scenes shoe fitters for top-ranking professional athletes and even teams, with experience in road, MTB, triathlon and Cross. We'd argue that insoles are AS important in cycling as they are in running. If you pronate, like most of us, you could use these more than you even know.
4. Go to wide or narrow carbon rims? The debate continues. New offerings from Campagnolo and 3T [plus ENVE and Zipp] go wider and rounder, whereas Xentis and Mavic [plus Reynolds] stick with narrower profiles for lower weight and a different aero argument. VeloNews recent carbon clincher shootout saw Xentis finish #1 in Scientific Testing, and Zipp finish #1 in Aerodynamics…the jury is still out, so come talk to us for our faves, and test ride some of our demo wheelsets to help decide. Or troll through our 2015 Component Rankings for our favorite options.
5. Go with wider tires – ditch your old 20 or 22 mm tires to go up to 23, 25 or even 27 mm rubber and go a step further, run ‘em at lower PSI’s. Your tush, back, wrists and neck will all thank you, and the most reliable aerodynamic and rolling-resistance data shows that wider is indeed better, and also marshmallow-level-comfy. Trust us on this. Oh, and all other things being equal, go with the highest thread count you can afford.
6. Go crazy light – incredible lightweight componentry has been around forever, but never has it been more reliable. We are official dealers for EE, THM, Tune, and AX Lightness, so tell us how crazy light you want your bike to be, and we can get it there, all the way down to 11 lbs, all with full warranty coverage and confidence.
7. Go custom – our list of custom frame-builders is now over half-a-dozen strong, with some of the most esteemed and drool-worthy names in Cycling: Argonaut, Baum, Cyfac, Mosaic, Parlee, Passoni, and Rauler offer a range of materials and styles to suit the most discerning rider. Once you understand the relative value and beauty of full custom - from material tube choices and a precise geometry, to paint selection and component matching, you'll never go back. With over 100 full-custom builds in the Blacksmith quiver, we are confident that we can build your dream bike.
8. Go with what fits – even if custom is not in the cards, with our industry-leading fit services, we strive to build all of our customers a bike that will fit like a glove. It’s the only way we know how, with our core belief that a comfortable rider will be a happy rider. We’ll then examine riding style, budget and material choices and styles before deciding which of our brands might work, choosing from an incredible selection of over 90 bikes our 7 wonderful stock brands: Ceepo, No. 22, Olympia, Scapin, Storck, Ritte and Van Dessel.
9. Go different – we know you have a sweet roadbike, or you wouldn’t be here. So consider an alternate need. Incredible categories have emerged in the past 3 seasons: 650 MTB offerings provide agility and cushion with all-mountain handling, Gravel Grinder road bikes have opened up terrain never before ventured upon, and stylish city bikes like the Scapin Eleanor offer sophistication and ride quality for non-race days…so consider something different this season.
10. Go with following your own path – listen, I believe in our Component Rankings, and that the little things do matter. But I also believe that, fit aside, it is hard to buy a bad bike these days. The industry is moving fast, with amazing technical advances every single year. I thought I was pretty damn happy with my used Look KG171 I picked up in Cincinnati in when I was 18 followed by a Bianchi Bianchi XL Ev2 from Colorado a few years later, but believe me bikes have come a loooooong way in my 20 years of riding. Entry-level carbon bike? Check. Stupid-cool carbon crankset? Check. Old-school-meets-new-skool OS Steel/Di2 Rauler? Check. Matching his and hers custom Parlees? CH-CHECK. Bikes rock. So have some fun with yours.
Best,
Mike

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The mission: Design the ultimate all-road year-round bike for Ontario
The builder: Mosaic Bespoke Cycles, our favourite titanium bike builder
The result: The all-new GT-1 Gravel Grinder - Ti meets Di2 meets disc brakes
The geometry and tubeset: aim was for a stable, comfortable ride: NAHBS DRAFT #2
The details: a cool blend of technology, premium materials, and outfitted by the world's best component manufacturers. Read more about the project and our inspiration by clicking on our press release_process1 (2) PDF.
[gallery ids="3574,3573,3572,3571,3570"]
Yes this bike is available for demo rides and purchase!!
Thanks to Viktor Cahoj for the awesome photography.
Talk to us today about YOUR dream bike and stay tuned for some cool upcoming builds!

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June 05 2013

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Holy crap do we have lots to report, but I will keep things short and pictorial...
ANNOUNCING MOSAIC CYCLES AS OUR NEWEST CUSTOM BICYCLE BRAND
We are just tickled to have inked with Mosaic to be their only bike dealer north of the border. In fact, we were quite humbled and appreciative when Kevin from Mosaic, fresh off their 2014 NAHBS award for Best Cross Bike in Show, reached out to us asking if we would want to consider carrying their bikes. Well, after a good deal of research, conversation, and drooling, we said Hell Yes. See why we already have custom Mosaics on order for two intrepid customers by scrolling through their awesome PDF brand-book with model photos and options by CLICKING HERE. Prices range from $2400 to $4,600 for custom steel and titanium framesets like the RT-1 pictured below, or the TT-1, aka the coolest travel bike ever released.
NOW TAKING ORDERS FOR SCAPIN BICYCLES AND XENTIS WHEELS
One picture, two killer brands. We are now officially taking orders for Scapin custom bicycles from Italy, and Xentis carbon wheels from Austria. Let me describe each brand in a quick elevator pitch before we get to long term reviews in a few weeks.
Scapin: history of build quality and precision, phenomenal comfort, agility + ride quality, plus custom geometry options, since they are one of the rare brands still hand-building today. 4 model options available: Ivor custom carbon, Style steel/carbon blend, Etika RC superlight monocoque, and Spirit+ steel.
Xentis: hand built in Austria, unbelievable weight and aerodynamics, fantastic details such as rubberized anti-rattle valve sleeve and hidden in-rim-moulded magnet, plus the absolute hands-down best carbon braking surface on the market - just ask Road Bike Magazine. Add in road, tri and MTB specific wheelsets, and Xentis is becoming our new favourite wheel brand for 2013.
NEW FMB TIRES JUST ARRIVED
Just in are 6 pairs of hand-made FMB tubular tires, including Francois' new ultra-rare all-black Service Course Cotton tires. There are rare birds, so get them before they are gone, or more accurately, before our staff members use their employee discounts. Available model options are:
Service Corse Cotton - 23 mm - black sidewall - $120 per tire x 6 in stock
Paris Roubaix Pro - 25 mm - green sidewall- $145 per tire x 2 in stock
Paris Roubaix Cotton - 25 mm - tan sidewall - $120 per tire x 4 in stock
Competition CX Silk - 25 mm - tan sidewall - $139 per tire x 2
BLACKSMITH CYCLE ELITE TEAM KITS ARE IN
Yes, the rumours are true. Our unbelievable new Louis Garneau team kits have arrived. This is absolute top-spec Team Europecar shwag, with their finest Carbon-ion Euro-fit jersey with 3M reflective rear strip, plus their premium ultra-compression Elite Lazer bib short with 5-motion chamois. No these are not cheap, but they may actually be the best team kit on the planet. Just ask our M1 and Elite racers, who are tearing up the OCA circuit! Or Tommy Voeckleur. Kit options are as follows, though club members get a discount, so be sure to mention that...
Team Elite Jersey - $179
Team Elite Bibshorts - $199
Vent Flex Gloves - $50
And coming in July:
Performance Classico Jersey - $89
Performance Vuelta Bib - $109
Long Sleeve Classico mid-weight jersey - $99
Elite Thermal Jacket - $209
Elite Superlight Vest - $125
Arm warmers - $39
Knee warmers - $55
Not enough news for you??? How about our...
- Fizik Demo program - try out your dream saddle for FREE
- Carbon wheelset demo program - we have officially started renting demo wheelsets from Lightweight, Xentis, ENVE, Madfiber and Dash. Oh baby!
- New sunglasses have arrived from SPY, our favourite San Diegan optical geniuses
- Ultegra 6800 11-speed groupsets are now available for pre-order for $1299
- Our new Handlebar Wall is up!! Thanks to Jamie and her mom Jo for this cool project. Come check out relative reach, drop, bend, shape and other details of the newest carbon and alloy road handlebars from ENVE, FSA, 3T, Deda, Pro, Thompson and Syntace all easily within reach...
Otherwise, Saturday group rides are rolling, new bikes arrive each day, including this week's bounty of a Fondriest TF Zero, Ceepo Viper, and Parlee Z5SLi. Plus our own Paul's Alchemy/Blacksmith Hammer Steel frameset was recently previewed in Cycle Exif.
Until the next update, happy riding and come visit our new space if you've yet to do so!